$/€ The Story of Gambling in Britain: From the Roman Empire to the Renaissance
Xenia Luch
21 June 2024
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Gambling in the United Kingdom today is a big deal, just like the church and the crown. It’s become ingrained in the rich tapestry of this region’s culture. Every year, no less than 20 million Brits get in on the action, whether online or at brick-and-mortar joints, raking in $15 billion in industry revenue over a 12-month period. But it wasn’t always this way. The gambling industry in Britain has had a long road to reach its current status.
Gambling’s Arrival with the Celts and Romans
Gambling in what’s now modern-day Britain dates back to around 800-700 BCE. During the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age, Celtic tribes began migrating to the islands, bringing some of their gambling traditions with them.
For example, Celtic chieftains often played a game based on random stones, and money was wagered on the outcome of the game.
But let’s be real, Celtic gambling was pretty scattered and unorganized. Bets were mainly placed on one-off events and they did it spontaneously — at feasts and gatherings.
Up until the first millennium, this was how gambling existed — no laws to regulate it, but no bans either.
Some order and variety came with the Romans. Their systematic conquest of Britain, starting in the 40s CE and pretty much wrapping up 20 years later, made the island a peripheral province of the great ancient empire. And with that came a bit of Roman culture seeping in, mostly noticeable in southeast Britain. But the influence was almost nonexistent up north and out west.
Why? Well, mostly because of the strong presence of Celtic tribes. The Romans sent to the new province were few in number and couldn’t shake up the established way of life. They married local women, had kids, and settled down in Britain. It was more of a cultural blend than a conquest. But hey, the Celts, already into gambling, gladly picked up many of the Romans’ pastimes.
Dice games became hugely popular. Various forms of dice games were played, including Tabula Lusoria, an ancient version of modern backgammon.
While gambling was tightly regulated on the mainland of the Roman Empire, with many provinces outright banning it, Britain was a different story. There wasn’t much of a crackdown here, which meant gambling thrived across all walks of life, from the local gentry to the humble farmers.
But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. In the early 5th century, the Roman Empire crumbled like a house of cards, and its rule over Britain came crashing down. The once-united province splintered into 7 independent kingdoms, plunging into centuries of infighting.
It wasn’t until 927 AD that things started to look up. That’s when the kingdoms finally got their act together and formed a unified state, aptly named England. From that point on, you could say Britain’s gambling story truly became its own thing.
200 Years of No ‘No Gambling’ Signs
After England’s formation, the crown was too busy with military expansion and fending off Viking raids. Gambling regulation? Not even on the radar. The English were free to place bets as they pleased, with no laws holding them back.
By the late 9th century, England was still pretty much a farming community. Most folks were knee-deep in soil, tending to crops and livestock. And guess what? That influenced how gambling rolled out in the future.
See, a lot of landowners were into horses. So, naturally, by 1174, during Henry II’s reign, the first recorded race took place in London.
But these weren’t your fancy Kentucky Derby affairs. Nope, just a couple of horses, usually two. Bets were only taken on the winner. It wasn’t until 1539 that England got its 1st legit racetrack — Chester Racecourse.
By then, gambling was everywhere. The rich folks were all about horse races. Cards came into play later. Meanwhile, the lower classes were all about dice. They’d roll ’em in pubs. Despite these differences, there was one common thread: most gambling events were organized by the participants themselves. Private casinos? State-run gambling houses? Nah, not yet.
The Crown Steps In with the 1st Gambling Laws
The first gambling restrictions in England appeared in the late 12th century due to conflicts between social classes. Because gambling was so widespread, it wasn’t uncommon to see nobles and commoners sitting around the same gaming table.
And since titles didn’t matter in bets, aristocrats sometimes lost even whole estates. This worried the crown, as such losses led to social chaos.
In 1190, King Richard I (aka Richard the Lionheart), laid down the 1st gambling law in England. It addressed several key points:
- Who could play, aka which classes were officially allowed to bet.
- How much money you could risk and on what games.
- What kind of punishment awaited those who broke the rules.
According to the law, only nobles could gamble, with a daily limit of 20 shillings.
Go over that limit, and any winnings from illegal bets got confiscated, and you had to donate an extra 100 shillings to the church.
Fast forward to King Richard II‘s reign from 1377 to 1399, and he’s also trying to clamp down on gambling. His decree? Betting was permitted only on non-workdays.
In 1541, King Henry VIII passed another law, banning most forms of gambling in England.
The Resurgence of Regulated Gambling
In the 15th and 16th centuries (the Renaissance era), England saw what we call an agricultural recovery. This event was a game-changer in the country’s history, setting the stage for the subsequent Industrial Revolution. And you bet it had an impact on the gambling scene, too, lifting most of the previous bans.
The monarchs of the time saw the potential cash flow the crown could tap into. They started giving gambling the green light again, setting up legit state-run racecourses, casinos, and lotteries. This laid the groundwork for the industry’s future explosive growth.
